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Snapshot | Martita | 2.5 Hour Commute into Mexico City

Martita stands on the roof of her home before beginning her 2.5 hour-long commute into Mexico City, Mexico. Photo by EMBARQ.

Martita on board the first of several buses she must take during her daily commute. Photo by EMBARQ.

View of the inside of Martita's first bus - it's very basic. Retired, modified school buses are not uncommon in the outskirts of Mexico City. Photo by EMBARQ.

Shortly after turning onto the highway access road, the first bus breaks down. This is a daily occurrence during Martita's commute. The driver attempts a repair (pictured), but it is not successful. Martita switches buses and continues her commute. Photo by EMBARQ.

The second bus Martita boards is crowded; she stands. Photo by EMBARQ.

Since the streets are too dangerous to cross on the surface, elevated walkways facilitate pedestrian traffic. After exiting the second bus, Martita begins her walk to next leg of her journey - the metro. Photo by EMBARQ.

Martita must walk half a mile to the nearest metro station. Once on board, she'll have to transfer twice before taking another bus to get to work. Photo by EMBARQ.

Getting closer to her destination, Martita rides the metro. It's crowded the entire trip, so she remains standing - but keeps a smile on her face. Photo by EMBARQ.

In the suburbs on the outskirts of Mexico City, residents like Martita are under-served by mass transport. It can take anywhere from two and a half to three hours to commute to and from work. Unreliable service and daily breakdowns are just part of Martita's daily commute. EMBARQ is working in Mexico to improve the quality and availability of public transportation, and ultimately raise the quality of life for residents like Martita. These photographs were taken in June 2010, when EMBARQ also produced a video documenting Martita's commute.